But could Cody’s death really have happened in that way? Kevin, Tom, Stephen and Derek denied the rape. His own parents refused to even entertain the possibility that Cody could have been involved in anything like that. Noah didn’t want to believe it, either. No one could’ve loved Cody more than he did. But he kept going back to the moment when Adelaide had approached him on the baseball field to congratulate him on a good game. He didn’t see how it was possible that such a shy girl would want to have sex with the whole team. Maybe some girls were that aggressive at sixteen, but not Addy. The image others painted of her was contrary to everything he knew her to be.
Problem was, so did the crime she accused Cody, Kevin and the others of committing. The people she claimed had raped her were his friends. He’d grown up with them, hung out with them over the years. He’d never known them to hurt anyone.
Still, someone had put her back in that damn mine. He’d found her there himself, saw how frightened and hurt she was. He’d also found that threatening note on her car: Stay away from Noah or that mine will be your burial place, too! And what about the night he caught Kevin outside her house?
He wished he could discuss the situation with Baxter, so he’d have someone he trusted to talk to, someone who’d known Cody almost as well as he did. Baxter’s opinion would be helpful. But for all he knew, Baxter’s parents had disowned him and Baxter would never speak to him again.
His phone rang just after dawn. Noah didn’t feel like rousing himself, but when he saw that it was his father, he answered. “What are you doing up this early?” he asked.
“Checking on you,” came the reply. “We might have a rough day ahead. I’m pretty sure Adelaide Davies has called Chief Stacy.”
“What makes you think that?”
“He’s already tried to reach me twice.”
“You haven’t called him back?”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“I wanted to talk to you first.”
Noah massaged his temples. He could feel the beginning of a headache. “About...”
“About what’s going on, of course. I’d like to know where you stand on this. We have to be united. There’s no way I’ll let Adelaide Davies ruin Cody’s memory.”
“How do you know she’s lying, Dad?”
“Because Kevin, Tom...all of them agree.”
Noah stared down at his feet. “They have good reason to agree! Do you think they’d admit to a gang rape? A couple of them are married, have families. They all could go to prison.”
“Nothing will happen to them.”
“How do you know?”
“She can’t prove a thing, Noah.”
“Prove.” Noah didn’t like that word. It didn’t say anything about true culpability. As a matter of fact, it smacked of ducking responsibility. “Are you only interested in what she can prove? Or what really happened?”
His father took a second to respond. “Cody was a member of the family. Unless she has some way to convince me, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that he acted so...reprehensibly, I’m going to maintain my faith in him. I won’t let some...whore destroy my respect for him.”
If it was anyone but Adelaide, Noah knew he’d probably feel the same—family first. Cody was his brother, his twin brother. He didn’t want to learn that Cody was capable of being so selfish and callous.
But Adelaide wasn’t a whore and no one knew that better than he did.
“Wouldn’t you want the same level of commitment from me if it was you?” his father asked.
Noah pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve got to go.”
“Where? The bike shop doesn’t open until ten.”
Standing, Noah pulled his keys from his pocket. “To Davis.”
“What’s in Davis?”
“I’m not quite sure, but I’m going to find out.”
“You’re not making any sense,” his father said, but Noah didn’t try to explain. He hit the end button and went to brush his teeth.
* * *
Adelaide was actually glad her mother was in town. With Darlene no longer working at Just Like Mom’s, someone had to help manage the restaurant. She simply wasn’t up to it today. She’d told Noah the truth last night. She’d gone home and told her mother and her grandmother the same, and they’d called Chief Stacy. Gran had put him off when he wanted to come over, but Addy had an appointment with him this morning.
She wasn’t all that keen on having him press charges against those who’d attacked her. She knew how ugly it would get if others didn’t believe her. And why would they believe her when they knew the men she was accusing so much better than they knew her?
Still, she was relieved that the truth was out. She hadn’t realized just how difficult it had been to harbor such a terrible secret. No matter what happened to her from here on, at least she didn’t have to live with the threat of someone learning about that damn party anymore.
Fifteen years was a long time to fear discovery.
“Addy, would you like a cup of coffee?” Gran stood in her doorway.
“No, thanks.”
“Chief Stacy is on his way.”
“I guessed as much. The alarm on my phone went off a few minutes ago. I’m about to take a shower.”
“Do you think—do you think we should have an attorney present?”
“No.”
Gran didn’t seem convinced. “It might be smart.”
“Maybe we’ll need one later, if he decides to press charges against me. But my story won’t change, Gran. Not one tiny bit. Because I’m telling the truth.” She was reconciled to facing the consequences, whatever they might be. Nothing could be worse than knowing she’d never get to be with Noah again, anyway. She’d understood all along that they didn’t have a future, but those few stolen moments were precious, and now there’d be no more of them.
Gran nodded. “I’m so sorry, honey. What they did to you...it was a dreadful thing—”
“I shouldn’t have disobeyed you and gone out,” she said.
“You were sixteen years old! Do you realize how young that is?”
Too young to go through what she had. But she’d survived.
“Which one of them came here with Aaron’s knife and threatened you, Addy? Which one took you back to the mine?”
Addy shook her head. “Whoever it was had a white truck.”